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“Who wants breakfast in bed?” Ava cracked her eyes open to see her grinning girlfriend, dangling a granola bar above her. Something was off. Ava was always the first to wake up because of small patches of light that snuck through the rock blockade and always found her eyes. She would enjoy the quiet before Sara woke up, then they’d begin digging through the rocks and joking back and forth, exchanging bits of food and quick kisses throughout the day as energy boosts. But time was up. Today her girlfriend would have to become her political enemy.
Ava originally kept her distance when the cave-in trapped them in the tunnel between their waring communities. They weren’t supposed to fraternize when they met up, just exchange the supplies each side needed to keep people alive and leave. Their leaders started the feud, but everyone else suffered the consequences. The secret supply trades that Ava and Sara were elected by their peers on either side to run were the only sliver of peace during the war.
Being trapped together made fraternizing unavoidable. Sara quickly discovered a stash of perishable food and herbs in an adjacent cave, seemingly a hideout for another group of travelers, and began tending to Ava’s deep cuts and scratches from the cave-in, despite the older woman’s protests. After a few days, they were eating together while swapping stories of childhood between sessions of chipping away at the rock blocking their exit. On day 12, Sara kissed her and their priorities changed.
“Come on babe, we have to eat before our breakfast gets cold.” Sara joked, dropping it on her lap.
“Are you ok? You seem… enthusiastic this morning.”
“No, I hate this. But it’s the right thing to do, so might as well enjoy our peace while it lasts.” Ava flinched at the slightest mention of their inevitable separation after almost a month underground. They had finally started to break through the last rocks that blocked one of the entrances to the tunnel and they would surely finish today. They would soon be going home, able to see their families in person, see how everything had changed in a month.
Ava's nights were regularly plagued with visions of her family dying in front of her, craving resources that she possessed underground. Her parents… all her friends in her community, all wiped out because she wasn’t there to protect them. The glazed look in their eyes felt so real, so wrong. Sara had been there with a hand on Ava’s chest every time Ava woke up crying and sweating, grounding her back to their underground haven. She knew she had to leave, but also knew what she would be losing and it hurt like Hell.
“I don’t want this.”
“It’s chocolate chip.” Even with dirt caked into her hair and skin, she still looked beautiful. For a moment, Ava forgot that she was upset with her and her optimism.
“No thanks.”
“Come on, you have to eat.”
"You have it."
"I've already had one. Sara, you need strength."
“Strength to be separated? Strength to go back to a war of arrogance and lies? ” Ava turns away, agreeing with her girlfriend but not wanting to show it.
“Yes exactly. Our people need us.”
“I know, our duty comes first. I just don’t want to lose you.” She felt Sara touch her hand tenderly.
“I know… but hey, I have a surprise for you.” Sara handed her a small round object, clumsily covered in purple wrapping paper. “I wrapped it myself. Made it feel more special.”
Ava ripped it open neatly to reveal a rock carved into the shape of a lumpy ring. She dropped it on the ground in shock.
“Sara, I-”
“I love you, Ava. You challenge me, you make me a better person and inspire me greatly. And I wanted to show you that when we escape, we will make it work. I want you forever in my life.”
“You know I love you too...” Ava gently intertwined her fingers with Sara’s. “But I can’t accept this. This feels like a lie.”
“A lie?”
“Sara, we can’t just hold onto this hope that we can leave this cave and everything will be okay. Neither of our families would allow their daughter marrying someone from their rival village.”
“Why can’t we hope?” Sara pulled back.
“Because it will consume me.” If they left there together, they’d be shot. If they ran, their people would kill each other, blaming each other for the loss. Perhaps they already have. There was no other way.
“You listen to me, Ava Sharpe. Even if we’re forced apart, and never see each other again, I will never stop loving you. Our love is not consuming, it’s empowering.” Sara pressed the stone ring into Ava’s hand. “Keep this to remind you that I’m always with you, and I will keep the paper and think of you each night. Just... please tell me that you’ll wait for me. You're my partner for life.”
Ava softened a bit at the fierce love that gleamed in her partner’s eyes. So freaking stubborn.
“Partners for life. I will see you under a different moon,” she whispered, kissing Sara, before taking a bite of the granola bar, slightly more ready for reality.
***
They had been gone too long. As soon as they were blinded by sunlight, the two lovers were ripped apart, forcing Ava to drop the ring among the rocks. The war had taken a turn, dividing everyone further. No more trading, and even harsher punishment for trading secretly in the first place.
Every night, Ava’s nightmares grew worse, dreams of Sara dying, Sara watching in horror as Ava slew her entire community, Sara killing everyone in Ava’s family, Sara forgetting her. Ava was heavily watched throughout the day, only able to go to the tunnels with a companion to gather the herbs they had found. Not even Ava's friend Gary was looking at her the same way, afraid that she had shared too much with Sara. And every time Ava tried to sneak away from her family, they quickly caught her.
On the first full moon since their escape, Ava finally managed to sneak out at night to the tunnels by convincing Gary to take watch for the night and let her go out for "herbs that only bloomed at night". He was sometimes too trusting for his own good, and she loved him for it.
She crawled through the small hole, praying that Sara would be there, that she would see the moon and remember their promise. The cavern was empty, no sign of any human presence. No...
As tears began to well up in her eyes, she scanned the space further and saw something colorful. Ava stumbled over to the spot where they had slept, picking up her beloved ring, a small square of purple wrapping paper with writing on the back, and a chocolate chip granola bar.
Ava quietly read the message on the paper, “please make sure you’re eating. See you soon, babe. We will fix this.” Always so damn optimistic, that Sara Lance.